day one: Legs
cardio warmup:
5 minutes of HIIT or 10 minutes of cardio of your choice. Here’s what I’m doing:
5 minute sprints: 45 seconds on, 15 seconds off
Allow 60-90 seconds rest between circuits. use this time to transition/set weights for your next circuit. Aim for little to no rest between exercises during the circuit. If you’re a beginner, take breaks as needed. done is better than perfect!
circuit 1: Complete 3 rounds.
Sumo deadlifts. Complete 12-15 reps.
At-home alternative: Use dumbbell or kettlebell.
Stand holding a barbell directly in front of you or a single dumbbell or kettlebell. Keep arms straight and knees slightly bent. Toes turned out to roughly 45 degrees. Hinge at your hips and lower the weight as far as possible without rounding your back, which should remain straight. Head/neck should maintain a neutral position and stay in line with your spine throughout the entire movement. Looking forward, not at the ground, will help you avoid rounding your back. Keep the weight close to, almost touching, your legs. Range of motion should stop slightly past your knees. Drive your weight through your heels to engage your glutes. Squeeze your glutes to slowly pull yourself up. Be sure not to use your back or round your spine! Thrust your hips at the top of the movement, but avoid leaning your torso backward.
Curtsey Lunge. Complete 10-12 reps, L-R.
modification: bodyweight only
Start from a standing position with your feet hip-width apart, and step your left leg behind you and to the right so your thighs cross, bending both knees as if you were curtsying. Keep both hips and feet facing forward. Make sure your front knee is aligned with your front ankle. Lift up to straighten your legs and return to the lowered position. Drive your weight through your front heel to engage your glutes. Return to the starting position, and repeat on the opposite leg.
bulgarian split squat. complete 10-12, L-R.
Modification: bodyweight only or perform a reverse lunge.
Begin by placing the toes of your right foot on a bench, box, stair or chair, with your left leg straight and foot positioned below your hip. Hold dumbbells in both hands with palms facing your body and hands hanging directly below your shoulders. Make sure your left foot is out far enough so that when you lower your hips, your knee stays directly over your ankle. Bend your left knee, squeeze your right glute, and lower your pelvis toward the ground. Press your left heel into the ground to straighten your left knee. Keep your core tight and repeat. Perform the set number of reps and then switch legs.
circuit 2: Complete 4 rounds.
leg press. Complete 10-12 reps.
At-home alternative: goblet squats with dumbbell.
Stand with your head facing forward and your chest held up and out. Place your feet shoulder-width apart or slightly wider. Holding a dumbbell in each hand, position them at your shoulders resting the dumbbells on your shoulders. If using a barbell, place your shoulders underneath the bar, and in a split stance lift the bar off the squat rack and move away from the rack. Brace your core and stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart. Hinge back at your hips, driving your weight through your heels and maintaining a neutral spine. Keep your head in line with your spine. Rather than allowing your back to round, let your lower back arch slightly as you descend. Lower down so your thighs are as parallel to the floor as possible, with your knees over your ankles. Press your weight back into your heels. Keep your body tight, and push through your heels to bring yourself back to the starting position, exhaling as you come up.
Pulsing lunges. Complete 12-15 reps, L-R.
modification: bodyweight only.
Stand with feet shoulder width apart with your core tight. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, letting them hang directly below your shoulders with your palms facing your body. Step back with your left foot and bend at your knee and position your left knee directly underneath your hip. Your right foot should be positioned directly underneath your knee, driving your weight through your front heel to engage your glutes. Slightly lift yourself up, and then pulse back down to the lowered position. Continue to drive weight through your front heel to engage your glutes. Repeat all reps on the same side and then repeat.
hip thrusts. complete 10-12 reps.
modification: use a dumbbell and add bands around quads on a couch. increase reps if working with lighter weights.
Begin seated on the ground with a bench (or couch) directly behind you. If you do not have a barbell, place a dumbbell resting on your hips and stabilize it with one hand on either side of the dumbbell. If using a barbell, have a loaded barbell over your legs. It is strongly recommended to use a hip pad to remove discomfort for this exercise. Roll the bar so that it is directly above your hips, and lean back against the bench so that the bottom of your shoulder blades are rested on the bench. Begin the movement by driving through your heels, extending your hips vertically through the bar. Your weight should be supported by your shoulder blades and your feet. Keep your chin tucked to maintain a neutral spine and proper tension. Extend as far as possible, then lower your hips toward the floor and repeat.
circuit 3: timed circuit 20/10s. complete 3-4 rounds.
Complete 20 seconds of the exercise and 10 seconds rest.
JUMPING LUNGES.
modification: Pulsing Lunges, 10 seconds per side.
Stand with feet shoulder width apart with your core tight. Keep your hands at your chest clasped together to help maintain a tight core to maintain your balance throughout the movement. Jump your left foot behind you, bending your knee and placing it directly below your left hip while simultaneously bringing your right foot in front of you with your foot positioned directly below your knee, driving your weight through your front heel to engage your glutes. Explosively jump up into the air, switching your feet in the air and landing in the same position with the opposite foot forward. Repeat. To modify, simple step back and lunge and remove the jump.
KETTLEBELL SWINGS.
modification: USE A DUMBBELL.
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent holding a kettlebell with both hands in a palms-down grip or holding the top of one dumbbell, cradling it in your palms with a tight grip. Pull the kettlebell back between the legs. Quickly push the hips forward and pull the knees back to generate the forward momentum to swing the kettlebell forward and up in front of the body. The strength to move the weight should come from the legs and hips, NOT the shoulders. The explosive extension of the hips should propel the kettlebell up to chest or shoulder height. As the kettlebell reaches the top of the move, brace the abdominal muscles and contract the arm and shoulder muscles to create a brief pause before pulling the kettlebell back down between the legs for the next repetition.
circuit 4: complete 2 rounds.
Single leg box hops. complete 10-12, L-R.
at-home alternative: use a stable knee-high surface, like an ice chest or stair.
Using a stable bench, box or stair, hop up onto the elevated surface and place your right foot completely on the surface hopping at the top. As you hop, bring your left leg toward your chest and come back to land with your left leg on the ground in the lunge position, keeping your right leg on the box. Repeat and switch sides after you complete the set number of reps.
hamstring curls. Complete 12-15 reps.
At-home alternative: if you don’t have a yoga ball, use towels underneath your feet to slide heels on hardwood floor.
Lie down on a gym mat with a yoga ball positioned in front of you. Place your heels on the center of the top of the yoga ball, digging your heels into the ball. Lift your hips by tucking your pelvis until your torso is in a flat, elevated position with your legs fully extended. Bend at your knees, rolling the yoga ball back toward your body until your feet are directly below your knees. Return to starting position and repeat.
squat to curtsey lunge. complete 8-10 reps, l-r.
Begin with feet shoulder width apart, brace your core and hold dumbbells in both hands resting the weight on your shoulders. Step back with your right foot into a curtsey lunge position, and maintaining a low position lift up slightly to step out into a squat position. Repeat the set number of reps on the right side and then switch to the left. Maintain a tight core and neutral spine throughout the movement.